Jack is one of six people to die this summer in the United States from the naegleria fowleri amoeba.

All were believed by health officials to have contracted an infection from the amoeba from swimming in warm, freshwater lakes, rivers or natural springs. See timeline of the sudden deaths »

There is no risk from properly chlorinated swimming pools, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The amoeba enters the human body through the nose. It then travels to the brain, where it begins to feed.

Symptoms of the amoeba's rampage begin 1 to 14 days after infection and resemble the flu. At the onset of those symptoms the amoeba victim's health swiftly declines. Watch how to reduce risk of contracting the amoeba »

At this point, says Dr. Kevin Sherin of the Orange County Health Department who is investigating three deaths this summer in Florida, "It's progressing very rapidly and then there's a downhill course for them there. Folks lapse into a coma, there are abnormal movements of the eyes and a terrible cascade of events leading to the actual death of parts of the brain."

Although exposure to the amoeba is usually fatal, Sherin says a cocktail of drugs can fight the amoeba if administered in time. The key, he says, is identifying the amoeba early.

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Here's a follow-up article with a misleading headline. It says the amoebas aren't harmful after all, but doesn't say the amoebas it's referring to are the ones who make it into our drinking water. Like Jesse said, can the MSM be taken seriously anymore? -GR

Quote:

Experts: Amoeba Doesn't Pose Health RiskBy Associated Press

TUCSON, Ariz. - Recent tests have shown that a brain-eating amoeba is in Tucson's water supply, but experts say the microscopic bug doesn't pose any health risks.

Tucson Water chlorinates its well water before distribution, killing the amoeba known as Naegleria fowleri before the water hits taps. But the amoeba's presence in our underground water source _ probably as a result of biodegradable oil used in pumps _ is a surprise to some researchers. The amoeba is usually found in surface water such as rivers and lakes.

"The organism is everywhere," said Charles Gerba, a microbiology professor with the University of Arizona's Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science. "It feeds on bacteria."

Naegleria fowleri made headlines recently when it killed a 14-year-old boy who had gone swimming in Lake Havasu last month. . . .

. . . The only way to get infected is to snort water. A person can drink water that has Naegleria fowleri and never be infected.